


water under the bridge

by thelastjedi



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:09:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastjedi/pseuds/thelastjedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“So,” Bobbi began an attempt at a conversation. “How are your classes, Jemma?” </p>
<p>“They’re good.” Jemma said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She was relieved to be speaking about something simple. “I’m actually top of my class in biology.”</p>
<p>“That’s great!” Hunter acknowledged as he took a sip of his water. “Isn’t it, Fitz?”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah, really great.” Fitz replied. And it was. Really great. He was proud of Jemma excelling at one of her favourite subjects, just as he knew she would. Though he couldn’t help but think about the fact that he should have known all this already. He used to be one of the first people she told about this kind of stuff, the person she came to when she was happy, when she was sad, and everything in between. But all that had changed. And Fitz didn’t like it one bit.</p>
<p>// college au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	water under the bridge

“You sure you’re alright with this?”

“He was sure the last three times you asked him, Bob.”

Bobbi glowered at the man in the passenger seat, reaching out to punch his arm while keeping her other hand on the wheel as she drove. “I’m being a good friend!”

“Well, you’re not being a very good girlfriend!” Hunter retorted, rubbing his arm that he was convinced was already beginning to bruise.

“Oh, woman up.”

“Guys,” said a voice from the backseat as he tried to distract the couple from their brewing argument. “It’ll be fine. Yeah, I haven’t seen Jemma in a while and the last time I did, we were technically breaking up and it hurt like hell -”

“You’re not really selling the whole ‘I’m okay’ thing, mate.” Hunter interrupted.

“But we’re both mature adults now,” Fitz continued. “And I’m sure we’re capable of speaking to each other again without falling apart. Besides, we’ve both moved on anyway.”

“Uh-huh.” Bobbi said, pulling the car to a stop in the street.

“We have.” Fitz argued.

“And I’m agreeing with you.”

Fitz watched as both Bobbi and Hunter began to unbuckle their seatbelts to get out of the car and found himself surprised at how quickly they had gotten to the restaurant. He had been so consumed in his thoughts for the majority of the car ride that it felt like they had only been driving for ten minutes and now that he was seeing his friends bundle themselves up in warm clothing to fight off the winter chill and meet up with the rest of their group, he grew nervous. He hadn’t spoken to Jemma in almost a year due to them going to different colleges, and it had been even longer since he saw her in person. But that was about to change. In fact, if he looked close enough, he was fairly sure he could see the woman making her way to the restaurant with a talkative Daisy at her side.

Heart thumping against his ribcage, Fitz slipped his beanie hat back on and stepped out of the car with Bobbi and Hunter. He kept his gaze downwards but couldn’t help taking a quick glance back at the approaching girls. He saw Jemma falter slightly in her step as she caught sight of him but her arm looped through Daisy’s meant that she had to continue on, and she did so with a determined look on her face that he had seen many times before at school.

“Hey guys!” Daisy said with a grin, pulling away from Jemma to hug the trio approaching the restaurant. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“You saw us at Thanksgiving!” Bobbi argued with a smile as she switched from hugging Daisy to hugging Jemma who complimented Bobbi’s new blonde hair. Bobbi had replied with a simple ‘brown was getting boring’. The only two that had yet to hug and greet each other were the budding scientists whose friends did their best to pretend like they weren’t watching them.

Seeming unsure, Fitz settled with a nod and brief smile in Jemma’s direction.

“Jemma.” He tucked his hands into his coat pocket.

“Fitz.” Jemma answered with a shaky smile of her own.

There was a pause, and sensing an awkwardness in the air, Hunter huffed out a sigh and spoke up. “Let’s go inside, shall we?”

Both Jemma and Fitz seemed relieved at the attention shift and quite happily entered the restaurant behind the rest of their friends. They were seated rather quickly since it was only lunchtime and the cold weather kept most people inside, and those that _were_ out were still Christmas shopping frantically. The only other people in the restaurant was two women with their children and a few businesspeople.

The group sat down at their table, Bobbi and Hunter facing each other and Daisy leaving the seat in front of her open for Lincoln whose train was late and would be arriving soon. That left Jemma and Fitz to sit in front of each other and Fitz found himself cursing the cosmos at their luck.

Jemma looked at Daisy with wide eyes, to which the girl mouthed ‘sorry’ as a response.

They had made a deal to sit next to each other but neither girl even thought about who Jemma would be sitting in front of. As they all looked at the menus that had been placed in front of them, Daisy whispered in Jemma’s ear.

“Do you wanna switch seats?” She asked as quietly as she could.

“And make it obvious?” Jemma frowned, not noticing Fitz’s eyes on her. “I can’t do that.”

The waiter appeared then and took their orders. Jemma was so startled by his presence that she ordered the first thing her eyes saw when she looked at the menu and it would seem Fitz did the same. Daisy also ordered on behalf of Lincoln who had just sent her a text saying he was only five minutes away.

“So,” Bobbi began an attempt at a conversation. “How are your classes, Jemma?” “They’re good.” Jemma said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She was relieved to be speaking about something simple. “I’m actually top of my class in biology.”

“That’s great!” Hunter acknowledged as he took a sip of his water. “Isn’t it, Fitz?” “Y-Yeah, really great.” Fitz replied. And it was. Really great. He was proud of Jemma excelling at one of her favourite subjects, just as he knew she would. Though he couldn’t help but think about the fact that he should have known all this already. He used to be one of the first people she told about this kind of stuff, the person she came to when she was happy, when she was sad, and everything in between. But all that had changed. And Fitz didn’t like it one bit.

“You look good, Fitz.” Jemma stated, deciding to take the metaphorical plunge and be the first of them to properly initiate a conversation.

“You look tired.” Fitz paled. Why had he said that? Well, she did look tired but college does that to you. He should’ve just returned the compliment but he had panicked when her familiar eyes met his and he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “In a good way. You look good. T-Tired looks good on you.”

Bobbi and Hunter looked at themselves in exasperation at their friend’s verbal vomit and Daisy grimaced behind her water glass.

Thankfully, Jemma just laughed. But Fitz wasn’t done with his ramblings.

“I should know. After all, I’ve seen you tired plenty of times before. All those late nights we spent together.”

Hunter choked on his water.

“He means all the nights we spent studying together!” Jemma explained, a blush rising to her cheeks.

“What else would I mean?” Fitz questioned for a moment before continuing on. He was screaming at himself to stop but for some reason, the words just kept spilling out. “Anyway, I just meant you look good. Beautiful, even.” To shut himself up, Fitz picked up his glass and downed several gulps of water.

Jemma looked frazzled, her eyes slightly wide. Daisy and Bobbi glanced at each other desperately only to find the other with no idea how to move the conversation on. Hunter was looking around the restaurant, looking as though he wished he could be sitting at any table but theirs.

Thankfully, the silence was broken by Lincoln who came running in, slightly out of breath. “Sorry I’m late.” With cheeks red from the sting of the wind, Lincoln peeled off his coat and finally collapsed into his place at the table with a relieved sigh.

Frowning slightly, he glanced around at the unusually quiet group. “What did I miss?”


End file.
